Generally speaking, any of a wide variety of sweet wines (sometimes FORTIFIED with brandy), all of which are compatible with desserts. More specifically in the United States, dessert wine is a legal term referring to all FORTIFIED WINES (whether or not sweet), which typically range from 16 to 21 percent in ALCOHOL BY VOLUME. Some of the more popular dessert wines are LATE HARVEST RIESLING, PORT, SAUTERNES, SHERRY, and AUSLESE.